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Hardeeville agrees to pay attorney fees in candidate's appeal

The city of Hardeeville agreed to reimburse City Council candidate Scott Ready up to $1,500 for legal fees incurred while he appealed a wrongful disqualification by the Hardeeville Municipal Election Commission.

By doing this, the city avoids a lawsuit and potentially more legal expenses.

On Thursday, City Council unanimously approved paying not more than $1,500 to Ready’s attorney, Jared Newman, for representing Ready in his appeal to the 14th Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Carmen Mullen on April 3 reversed Ready’s disqualification and rendered him a candidate for the May 8 city elections.

“It’s a request that comes from the lawyer to receive payment and if you do not pay it, it would turn into a suit,” said City Manager Bob Nanni on Friday.

“In the letter that came from Ready’s attorney, they offered in exchange for the payment they would not seek any litigation with anybody else. In other words, there would be no further litigation over the cost, no further litigation with the Hardeeville Municipal Election Commission and the city, so it was a good deal. It made good business sense.”

Newman was hired after the local election commission — appointed by City Council — disqualified Ready on March 15.

The three-member election commission determined Ready had not submitted a complete Statement of Economic Interests by the candidate filing deadline of noon March 8 because he incorrectly checked “elected” instead of “candidate.”

Mullen overturned the election commission’s decision. Ready and incumbents Roy Powell and Michael Sweeney are candidates for the two City Council seats.

If Ready’s disqualification had been upheld, the incumbents would be unopposed and there would be no need for an election.

The local election commission is comprised of Joyce Meeks, Mae Montgomery and Lyndia Daniels. Meeks, chair of the election commission, is Powell’s mother-in-law.

Council members Sal Arzillo, Sweeney, Sherry Carroll and Mayor Bronco Bostick, along with Nanni and City Attorney David Tedder, decided Thursday to reimburse Newman during a 15-minute executive session as part of the regular City Council meeting.

Powell recused himself after receiving legal counsel from Tedder during a 10-minute recess before council moved into executive session.

Ready also filed on March 16 a complaint with the State Ethics Commission alleging potential conflict of interest because Meeks is Powell’s mother-in-law. The state is expected to discuss the Ready complaint at its May meeting.